To Your Soul

{{Infobox album

| name = To Your Soul

| type = studio album

| artist = The Jaz

| cover = To Your Soul album cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1990|7|16}}{{Citation|title=To Your Soul by The Jaz on Apple Music|date=July 16, 1990|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/to-your-soul/978106421|language=en-us|access-date=2018-01-08}}

| studio = {{hlist|D&D Studios (New York, NY)|Calliope Studios (New York, NY)|Bayside Studios (New York, NY)}}

| genre = Hip hop

| length = 51:54

| label = EMI USA

| producer = {{hlist|Dwayne Alexander (exec.)|The Jaz|Chad Elliott|Vandy C|Prince Paul}}

| prev_title = Word to the Jaz

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title = Kingz Kounty

| next_year = 2002

| misc =

}}

To Your Soul is the second studio album by American rapper and producer The Jaz, from New York, New York. It was released on July 16, 1990, via EMI USA.

Background

The album was recorded at D&D Studios, in New York City, New York, and was primarily produced by Jaz-O. The album also received production contributions from Prince Paul, Vandy C, and Chad Elliott. Jay-Z appears on two tracks.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oDz_AgAAQBAJ&dq=To+Your+Soul+the+jaz+1990&pg=PT33|title=Jay-Z: The King of America|first=Mark|last=Beaumont|date=October 2, 2017|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780857127921|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web |last=Serwer |first=Jesse |date=July 23, 2013 |title=Jay Z's Best Songs Before "Reasonable Doubt" |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2013/07/jay-zs-best-early-songs/ |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=Complex}} Despite the album not reaching the Billboard charts, its two singles, "The Originators" and "A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)," peaked at No. 13 and No. 18, respectively, on the Hot Rap Songs chart.{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-jaz/chart-history/rap-song|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514020521/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-jaz/chart-history/rap-song|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2018|title=The Jaz Chart History|work=Hot Rap Songs|access-date=January 8, 2018}}

Critical reception

Joshua Clover, in his book 1989: Bob Dylan Didn’t Have This to Sing About, called the album "vital, serious, deeply musical, with playful lyrics that come at varying speeds, sometimes blunt and heavy on the beat, sometimes syncopated and sudden, looking for a way to slip past any defense."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zagwDwAAQBAJ&dq=To+Your+Soul+the+jaz+1990&pg=PA49|title=1989: Bob Dylan Didn't Have This to Sing About|first=Joshua|last=Clover|date=October 12, 2010|publisher=Univ of California Press|isbn=9780520267879|via=Google Books}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Put the Squeeze on 'Em

| length1 = 3:52

| extra1 = The Jaz

| title2 = It's That Simple

| note2 = featuring Jay-Z

| length2 = 4:14

| extra2 = Prince Paul

| title3 = A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)

| length3 = 3:53

| extra3 = {{hlist|Chad Elliott|The Jaz}}

| title4 = Abnormal

| length4 = 3:25

| extra4 = Prince Paul

| title5 = Ease Up Jaz

| length5 = 3:56

| extra5 = Vandy C

| title6 = I'll Smoke You

| length6 = 3:53

| extra6 = {{hlist|Chad Elliott|The Jaz}}

| title7 = Doped Up

| length7 = 4:53

| extra7 = The Jaz

| title8 = To Your Soul

| length8 = 4:08

| extra8 = Vandy C

| title9 = Flag of the Mahdi

| length9 = 2:22

| extra9 = {{hlist|Chad Elliott|The Jaz}}

| title10 = A Nation Divided

| length10 = 4:32

| extra10 = The Jaz

| title11 = Why?

| length11 = 4:28

| extra11 = Vandy C

| title12 = Black Man in Charge

| length12 = 2:57

| extra12 = {{hlist|Chad Elliott|The Jaz}}

| title13 = The Originators

| note13 = featuring Jay-Z

| length13 = 4:14

| extra13 = The Jaz

| title14 = Not Shoutin' Out

| length14 = 1:07

| extra14 = The Jaz

| total_length = 51:54

}}

Personnel

Jonathan Burks – main performer, producer (tracks: 1, 3, 6–7, 9–10, 12–14)
Shawn Corey Carter – featured performer (tracks: 2, 13)
Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliott – producer (tracks: 3, 6, 9, 12)
Vandy Colter – producer (tracks: 5, 8, 11), engineering
Paul Edward Huston – producer (tracks: 2, 4)
Dwayne Alexander – executive producer
Gary Clugston – engineering
Kieran Walsh – engineering
Mike Rogers – engineering
Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
Henry Marquez – art direction
Lu Ann Graffeo – design
Jeffrey Scales – photography

Charts

Singles

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !rowspan="2"\| Year !rowspan="2"\| Song ! Peak positions
US Rap
1990 \| "The Originators" \| 13
1991 \| "A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)" \| 18

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!rowspan="2"| Year

!rowspan="2"| Song

! Peak positions

US Rap

1990

| "The Originators"

| 13

1991

| "A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)"

| 18